Along with the literary language, there is a huge lexical layer called slang. Answering the question: “Slang - what is it?”, It should be noted that these are words that are not commonly used, they are usually used by a specific, certain circle of people in vernacular. Although in some cases it is also found in fiction, if the author needs to convey the character’s live speech.
Slang composition
The slang arose not from scratch. This word itself has appeared recently. A couple of decades ago, people did not use the word "slang", what it is - they did not know. But there were such definitions as jargon, argo, vulgarism, obscene language, dialecticism, vernacular, professionalism. Today, all these individual lexical strata have merged together, forming a group called “slang”. What it is, whether the Russian language needs it is a moot question, which is unambiguously impossible to answer.
Slang, which has no place in the language
It is safe to say that the presence of jargon, slang, profanity and vulgarisms in speech greatly spoils the language. Therefore, every self-respecting cultured person needs to avoid the use of such words. Unfortunately, even the media, venerable writers and politicians today consider it possible to use base slang, calling this position linguistic democratization. Many pseudo-scientists bring absurd evidence under their platform, trying to convincingly argue the harmlessness of the speech layer under consideration. In fact, such an attitude towards language is the first step towards lack of culture and the loss of national pride. You can explain the reason for the emergence of this slang group, but we should not forget that obscene language and obscene language is a curse that falls on the speaker himself.
Professionalism as an integral part of slang
There is a semantic group of lexical units called professional slang. What it is? These are words that are not considered generally accepted, but are used exclusively by a group of people of a particular profession. For example, bottles in the midst of sailors indicate bells that beat the clock. And railroad workers call a shoe a device used to brake cars. Computer slang should also be included here: “keyboard” - keyboard, “mother” - motherboard, “window” - Windows operating system, “dead” - soured, and so on. And since almost all young people are fond of computers today, computer professionalism is also included in youth slang. What is it - we will consider further.
Young language: you can’t do without a translator!
Indeed, this layer of Russian vocabulary is quite difficult to understand for an ordinary person who does not rotate in the circle of the teenage generation. You can even compile a dictionary of informal vocabulary used by young people. For example, chewing gum is called “scumbag”, fraud is called “scribbler”. “Gansyuk” is a word in the lips of young people means a German, and “diss” is the name of a rap that degrades the work of another rapper. Interestingly, the word "lavruha" today refers to money. And quite recently, slang words “cabbage” and “grandmothers”, who have successfully migrated from the youth vocabulary to vernacular, have been synonymous with financial resources.
Conversational Slang
Many words from highly professional vocabulary or youth jargon go into the speech of most people. For example, narcologists among themselves began to call delirium tremens "squirrel". Social networks are filled with lol-pictures illustrating the process of transferring meaning from a phrase to a homonymous word. People often also use the words “shabashka” or “kalym” - a side job, “button accordion” - an old joke, “a bearded anecdote”. Most lexemes have become colloquial due to a change in their etymological meaning. Take, for example, the word "bitch", which means, by the way, the dead carcass of an animal (hence the vultures). At first it became a definition of the type of women and was negative in color. And today, the negative connotation has evaporated, and to be called a bitch is not only offensive, but also prestigious. Many words appear in colloquial slang by truncating the name. Those are: “telly”, “great”, “microwave”, “washer”, “boutiques”, “sotik”, “comp”, “laptop” and others. There is another way for words to appear in colloquial slang - the use of foreign units adapted for the Russian language by adding endings or letter (incorrect) reading. The first case can be illustrated with the word “ahtungovat” - to pay attention, and the second demonstrates the word “girl”.
Thus, slang is an informal language, the use of which is unacceptable in literary speech, with the exception of artistic techniques. The language of a politician or teacher is perceived as inappropriate and vulgar, which clogs his speech with slang words, thus trying to "get closer" to the people.